Battening down and warming up...


Good morning and welcome to my Monday blog.

This week the weather has changed and cold winds, ice and snow have arrived.
Time to batten down the hatches and keep warm.

My studio is a wooden cabin heated by a woodburning stove.
It is a hungry beast and needs stoking often to keep the temperature
suitable for painting.  I have moved my easels nearer to keep watch.

I use a variety of easels.  Freestanding and table versions.
A large old dining table is useful for my palette, table easels and other equipment.
I like several pieces of work in progress so I move from one to the other.

This prevents the temptation to begin fiddling with a 'difficult' one.
Turning my back on the work for a time means I look at it again with fresh eyes.


Over the past few weeks I have been working on small  8 inch square canvases.
Now it is time to change to something different as I like variety.
I believe it keeps my work fresh and spontaneous.

Here is the final one in this series...

Gold Sky   Oils on canvas  8 x 8 inches

I completed another small coastal study too...

Turning Tide  Oils on gessoed watercolour paper  6 x 6 inches

in a hand-painted wood frame.

It is a textured piece, with oils sculpted by brush and knife.

I love the luscious feeling as I work with the paint.

Close-up detail

More detail


Now for something completely different...

Lud's Doorway   Oils on gessoed watercolour paper

with cream mount and black frame measuring 10 x 12 inches.

Lud's Church is a cathedral-like place amongst the rocks

in the High Peak, Derbyshire/Staffordshire region.

Memories from a walking holiday there inspired this piece.

The light pours in through a gap in the rocks looking like a doorway.

Out of the woods   Oils on gessoed watercolour paper 

with cream mount and black frame measuring 10 x 12 inches.

This imaginitive landscape was inspired by the woods and

 fields I see when walking near my home with Whippet Brodie.

Weather and changing seasons often feature in my work.

The mount/mat isolates the painting from the frame giving it a bold contrast. 

 They look nice hanging together.  I am happy with them.

Framing changes...

My framer Graham has decided to scale down

 his workload to concentrate on other commitments.

  

I would like to say thank you Graham.

I have been very pleased with all the frames you have

 made for me and I send you good wishes for your future.

That's all for now...the stove is calling.

 I hope you keep safe and warm.

Until next Monday...

Thank you for visiting.